Croissants banned in Aleppo because of colonial connotations

A Sharia committee in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo issued a fatwa that croissants are forbidden because their link with colonialism, according to an article on Tuesday in the London based Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat. The ruling said that the croissant, which is in the shape of the French crescent, celebrates the European victory over the Muslims, as the crescent is a slogan of the Islamic state.

This is a sign of the Islamization of Syria in areas under the control of the Islamist dominated rebels. Traditionally, Aleppo has practiced a more moderate form of Islam and these kinds of fatwas were uncommon, according to the report.

Other strict fatwas have been issued in other parts of Syria. The report also noted other recent fatwas. One stated that anyone violating the Ramadan fast openly would be sentenced to one year in jail. Another religious ruling issued on Facebook prohibited women from dressing immodestly, wearing tight clothes, or using makeup.

Samir Nashar, a member of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, told the paper that these extremist trends need to be resisted.